Another Runner in the Knight
by Skyblaze
Summary: Whilst on a case, Michael is temporarily blinded. While he is unable to see he is tracked by a hitman, so it is up to Kitt to deal with the fallout, and find and stop the assassin before it's too late. Part of the 'Knight Rider: Shadows' series.


Another Runner In The Knight  
  
Blinded by the light  
Revved up like a deuce  
Another runner in the night  
Blinded by the Light - Manfred Mann  
  
  
In the late evening, a black Pontiac TransAm cruises down an almost deserted highway. Had anyone been watching, they would have seen that the beautiful sports car was under expert control, with every move it made perfectly graceful. But an observer would also have seen that the man sat in the drivers seat appeared to be asleep, his hands not even touching the steering wheel...  
  
Michael Knight, supposed driver of the modified TransAm, sat half-dozing as he listened to the soothing sound of Kitt's turbine engine, totally relaxed and content for the first time in too long. It felt so good to be back with his partner, the separation had been almost painful for both of them. Kitt and Michael had not wanted to be broken up, but after Devon's death everything had fallen apart. It had seemed like along with its Executive Director, FLAG had lost all support within the Board. James Marland had tried to revive FLAG with the KRO project but after that turned out to be a disaster, Michael had been put on indefinite suspension, Kitt's body dismantled, his CPU put in storage. And FLAG had been put on hold until 'further notice' and only the tireless campaigning of its supporters had reactivated it. Then had come Team Knight Rider, who had been destroyed because of a lack of trust. They had been constantly monitored and evaluated to make sure none of them went rogue, their cars had a weak Molecular Bonded Shell and assigned weaknesses. Even Kitt's CPU had been put aboard SkyOne to assist and monitor them, despite his pain at Michael's absence and aversion to flying. The Foundation had learned its lesson after KRO, but it had learned it too well, TKR hadn't been trusted, and a team that isn't trusted could never make an effective crime fighting force. So it had come to this. A new team, Michael's team. The Knight Shadows. With that thought Michael drifted off into a deeper sleep.  
  
Kitt watched his sleeping partner with some relief. Michael needed the rest, he had never been one for taking good care of himself, but lately it had gotten worse, Michael seemed to be trying to live on coffee and a sense of responsibility. The longer it went on the more concerned Kitt got. Just then, Kitt received a signal from FLAG HQ. //Wonderful// Kitt thought, //Just when Michael manages to get some sleep, we get a call// Kitt knew full well that at Michael's age, he needed his rest - not that he would ever say that to Michael's face of course.  
Sighing, Kitt woke his partner.  
"Michael, we're getting a call from the Foundation."  
Michael yawned, "Put it through Kitt." He said sleepily.  
An image of Bonnie appeared on one of the small screens set in the dash. On seeing her, Michael immediately perked up, even though Bonnie looked absolutely furious, and Kitt suspected that Michael was the cause.  
"Was this YOUR idea!?!" Bonnie demanded, waving a piece of paper in the air.   
Michael gave her a look of wholly contrived innocence, "Was what my idea?"  
"ME as head of FLAG? Are you out of your mind !?!" She yelled.  
Michael tried to look serious, but his mischievous grin spoiled the effect "Well, I might have dropped a few hints with the board." He said, downplaying it for all he was worth.  
Kitt decided to step in before things got any worse.  
"What's the problem Bonnie? You would be very good as Executive Director of FLAG. The board trusts you, and the Foundation staff respect you." Kitt said.  
Bonnie looked anguished, "Kitt, have you got any idea how much paper work the Executive Director has to do? There were times when I could barely see Devon for all the forms and letters on his desk!" She sighed, "Anyway, Michael, the real reason I called you is because one of Mobius' former bases seems to be active again. Lights have been seen and there has been at least one person spotted at the site."  
The mischievous and amused expression vanished from Michael's face.  
"Which one?" Michael asked, with an emotion very close to dread in his voice.  
Bonnie hesitated briefly, "West Nevada." Was all she said. But it was enough. That was the place where Kitt had been taken after his kidnapping. Where the Knight Shadows had rescued him from in their first joint mission. It was enough for Michael to spin the car in a 180, and slam his foot down on the accelerator.  
"Thanks Bonnie, we'll take care of it. Talk to you later." He said, disconnecting the comlink to FLAG HQ.   
His throat felt tight, and his hands were clamped around the steering wheel as if he were afraid to let go. //No one's gonna hurt you that way again partner. Even if I have to blow that place sky high. No one is taking you away from me again//  
The TransAm screamed down the highway like a banshee, warning of disaster that was to come.  
  
  
The place was deserted. It just had to be.  
The base still showed signs of the damage that Karr and Fury had caused, it was quite extensive. Michael whistled in amazement as he saw the many blackened patches and large dents the two cars had caused. If those two ever went head-to-head, he hoped no one got caught in the middle.  
The only sign of human habitation was from the smallest of the buildings. The doors were still attached, for one thing. He asked Kitt to do a scan.  
"Signs of electrical equipment, a generator that's been in use recently, and heat traces on the bed."  
"Any idea how old they are, pal?" He asked.  
"Based on the rate of decay, only a few hours." His partner replied.  
Damn. That meant someone had been here recently. Michael's hands clenched into fists. If this guy was looking for stuff to try and use against him and Kitt then he was in big trouble. No one would hurt his partner again. No one.  
It never even occurred to him that the attack might be meant for him.  
Michael wandered into the tiny building. It was sparsely furnished, showing signs of once being an office. A tattered camp bed stood against a wall and a small stove sat on one of the desks. There was nothing here, so Michael walked into the next room.  
He never knew what hit him.  
  
Pain.  
So blindingly intense that it blocked out all other feeling, all other sensation.  
He was aware that he was screaming, his throat burned with the pressure, but he heard no sound.  
His eyes. His eyes felt like they were being boiled in their sockets. He couldn't see. He couldn't feel. He could only scream in absolute agony as the pain drilled its way into his skull.  
The world vaporized around him and Michael tumbled into soothing blackness.  
"Michael! Michael! Please answer me! Michael!" The terrified cries of his partner went unheard.  
  
Kitt waited, deeply worried. The screams coming from the building had terrified the AI. Michael had not responded to his calls and Kitt was getting more concerned by the minute. Kitt's CPU bombarded him with possibilities too hideous to contemplate. He couldn't loose his partner! He simply couldn't. Too frightening a prospect to thing about...if Michael was ever gone forever...  
Kitt shut away those thoughts in a corner of his CPU and waited. After what seemed like an eternity, he saw the tall figure of his driver emerge from the small office, but as Kitt watched his partner stumble over to where he was waiting he knew instantly that something was wrong. Michael's hands touched Kitt's warm metal skin, fingers curling around the prow, clinging to Kitt as though he were a lifeline. His eyes darted from side to side. "Michael," Kitt asked softly, "what's wrong?" Michael's answer filled Kitt with horror, "I can't see, pal," Michael choked, "I'm blind."  
  
To be continued...  
  
By Rebecca Duty  
  
Horror swept through Kitt's CPU with the force of a tidal wave.  
"Don't worry Michael," Kitt struggled to say through the layer of ice that seemed to be coating his circuits, "I'll get you home."   
Michael clung to the soothing sound of his partner's voice. Letting the smooth Boston accent calm him slightly, "Where's the driver's seat Kitt?" He asked, his voice steadier, but Kitt could hear the pain and fear hidden behind that apparent calm. Michael was terrified. Kitt was too, afraid of what would happen when they did get home. Kitt guided his partner to the drivers-side door. When Michael was safely inside, Kitt started the engine and headed back toward Knight Shadows HQ.  
A thousand 'what ifs' sprang into Kitt's CPU. What if Michael's blindness was permanent? Would they be split up? Would the Foundation try to force him to take another driver?  
Kitt shuddered internally at that thought. He would never accept another partner! He needed Michael and only Michael. No one could replace him. If anything ever happened to Michael...  
Kitt derailed that train of thought. Something had happened to Michael, and Kitt needed to take care of him. With that firmly in mind, he put a call through to Foundation HQ.  
Richard Moss answered the call.  
"Hey, Kitt. What's up?" Rick asked in his easy-going manner.  
"Richard! Get a call through to Dr Alpert right now! Tell him to get to Shadow Base as soon as he can!" Kitt said.  
Richard blinked in surprise, and his demeanor turned serious. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"   
"Michael's hurt. I can't tell how badly. Just get Dr Alpert, Rick. Please!" Kitt said urgently as worry for his partner started to overwhelm him again.  
"Alright Kitt. Karr and I'll go get him ourselves. Don't worry." Was all he said as he disconnected the line.  
Despite Rick's reassurances, Kitt felt desperately worried. Michael had not said another word since they had left the Desert Base, and the terrified look on his face was enough to make Kitt ache. It was truly painful to see Michael like this, so scared, so silent.  
Never, in all the time Kitt and Michael had rode together had he ever seen his partner so afraid. Even when Kitt's own self-confidence had faltered, Michael had always been there. So strong and unafraid. Ready to take on the world. To see if so small and hurt...it scared Kitt more than he was willing to admit.  
  
When they arrived at Shadow Base, Rick, Bonnie and Dr Alpert had been waiting for them. Dr Alpert had led Michael away for tests while Bonnie and Rick bombarded Kitt with questions about what had happened, questions that Kitt simply couldn't answer. Michael had been eerily silent throughout the entire journey to Shadow Base; despite Kitt's gentle prodding. Kitt had retreated into his garage space, refusing to answer any more questions. Bonnie bit her lip and cursed herself for being so insensitive. Kitt was probably as shaken as the rest of them, if not more. Michael was his partner, his best friend, and all Bonnie could do was ask questions.   
"It'll be okay Kitt." She said, trying to reassure herself as well as Kitt.   
Kitt didn't reply.   
Turning, Bonnie saw Dr Alpert leading Michael over to the garage, she hurried over but before she could ask how he was, Alpert spoke.  
"He had been blinded Miss Barstow, that's all I can say just now. We will have to wait for the test results to see if it is permanent or not." He said matter-of-factly. Bonnie felt her insides clench permanent... Michael showed no reaction, his face remained a stoic mask.  
"Thank you Dr Alpert. I'll take care of Michael now." She said as she took Michael's arm and began leading him towards the garage where Kitt was waiting.  
When they approached Kitt's space, Michael shook off Bonnie's support and moved unerringly towards Kitt, opened the door and slipped into the drivers seat. The door slammed shut, and Bonnie watched as the windows went dark. Her eyes filled with tears. Michael might as well have screamed it out loud 'leave me alone...'. Feeling completely helpless, Bonnie turned and left the garage.  
  
Michael couldn't have explained how he knew. It was just a feeling, the knowledge that Kitt was there. A warm feeling of safety and comfort washed over him as he got in the car. Michael wrapped his arms around the steering wheel, he felt the light fade, and knew that Kitt had darkened the windows, protecting the remaining shreds of his dignity. Michael felt hot tears fall from his sightless eyes. He leaned his forehead against the top of the steering wheel as Kitt murmured soft words of comfort and reassurance. Kitt promised that he would never leave him and had Michael been able to see, he would have seen the words that flashed up on the monitor for a split second 'forever yours'.  
  
Rick sank down into the plush fabric of Karr's drivers seat as he watched the black TransAm through the windshield. They were in a dangerous situation now.  
"What can we do?" Rick murmured to himself.  
"Only one thing." Karr replied. Rick started; he hadn't expected an answer, not from Karr.  
"What's that?" Rick ventured.  
"Make sure they are not separated." Karr said levelly.  
"What?"  
"If Knight and Kitt are separated, it will destroy them both. They must remain together through this crisis, and through all others." Karr replied, in that same emotionless tone.  
Rick realized that Karr was right. Michael and Kitt had to be kept together. They were stronger together than they were apart and they would need all the strength they could get if they were to make it through this. That left just one question:  
"Karr, how do you know?" He asked his partner. There was a long pause.  
"I just do." Karr said in a tone that said quite clearly 'don't push it'.  
"Okay." Rick said as he began to form a plan. Rick grinned, he knew a way that would keep Michael and Kitt together and ensure the future of the Knight Shadows.  
"Karr, put me through to Dannie and Echo." There was no reply, but a moment later, Dannie's face appeared on the monitor.  
"Hi, Rick. What's up?" the young Brit asked.  
Rick took a breath and filled her in.  
"Bloody Hell Fire," Dannie breathed, "you really think that FLAG will try and split 'em up?"  
"Maybe. Can you really see FLAG having an operative with such an obvious disability?" Rick replied. She sighed, knowing he was right, "You know what to do?"   
Dannie grimaced, "Yeah, I don't like it though. I like having a legit job"  
"Legit? We break the speed limit five times a week!" Rick almost laughed.  
"Well, semi legit."  
Rick turned serious again, "I hope it doesn't come to this, but if it does..."  
"I'll be ready, don't worry. Keep me informed, okay?" Dannie answered.  
Rick nodded and disconnected the vid-link.  
Rick leaned back in the seat. If worst came to worst, they would be ready.   
  
  
Chapter 3  
  
"Please talk to me Michael. Tell me what you're feeling." Kitt asked softly of his distraught partner.  
"I'm scared Kitt. They could split us up." Michael whispered painfully.  
"That won't happen Michael. I promise you that."   
"Face facts Kitt, I'm no use to you or anyone else this way. I can't do my job." Michael said miserably.   
"Michael, please...I know it must be hard, but this might not be permanent-"  
"Might? What if it is? I can't do my job if I can't see. I'd just be a liability, to you and the rest of the Shadows." Anger, pain and despair warred in Michael's voice, and Kitt cringed at the sound of it. There was almost nothing of the Michael he knew in that voice. None of the good-humour that Kitt was so used to hearing, nothing of the optimistic attitude. //Whoever did this to you Michael, they won't get away with it// Kitt thought savagely.  
"You should get some sleep Michael." Kitt informed him with a calm he did not feel inside. Michael just nodded dumbly and made to get out of the car. Rick had been waiting for him and dutifully took his arm and led him inside. Kitt watched his partner make his silent way up to his room, sorrow causing an ache in his CPU.  
  
"He's helpless. All you have to do is take him out." The husky female voice came from the shadows behind the desk. The man at the other side of the desk, the only other person in the room, didn't even change expression.  
"Forget it." He said firmly.  
"I don't know why you are refusing such a generous offer."   
The man - whose name was Riley - snorted, "I've seen what his car can do. Not to mention that damned team of his. I'm not going up against all of them. I'm an assassin, not a kamikaze."   
"You don't have to face all of them." The woman behind the desk almost purred, "They will be...otherwise engaged."  
Riley raised an eyebrow, "I still say it's too risky."  
The mystery woman sighed, "Fifty thousand." she increased the size of her offer.  
"You have yourself a deal." Riley said, turning to leave. It didn't matter to him that he didn't know who his employer was, or that he had no idea what she even looked like. Riley cared about three things; getting his target, getting the money for doing so and staying alive in the process. Fifty thousand dollars would be his very soon.  
  
  
  
Dannie zoomed down the highway at frightening speeds, making Echo more than a little nervous. Dannie was just the opposite, going this fast helped her sort out her feelings and calm her down. There was an undeniable thrill to racing at high speeds, it helped take her mind off more worrying matters. Like Michael's blindness. Her hands clenched around the wheel. With her resources and Rick's contacts, they could keep Michael and Kitt safe from anyone who might want to separate them. Dannie knew that if they were ever torn apart, by fate or an all too human choice, they would both die. That's how deep the bond between them ran. It was something Dannie was only just beginning to understand, that kind of symbiosis between driver and car, between human and AI. Echo was her sanity, and she doubted she could control her wild side, the side that had almost gotten her killed once upon a time. Well, no use thinking about that now, it was ancient history. The arrangements were already made, if the worst should happen and the Foundation Board tried to split up Michael and Kitt, there would be a sanctuary for them, and all the protection of the Knight Shadows. Dannie grinned viciously, and pressed her foot a little harder on the accelerator pedal. Echo whimpered in terror as the silver TVR shot forward.  
  
He couldn't even tell if this was his own room.   
Michael lay on what he could only assume was his bed, emotions boiling inside of him. He had heard the pain in Kitt's voice, it reflected his own. The thought that the board might decide to separate them sent shivers of terror through his soul. His job, his life as it had been for so many years, was gone. He couldn't make a difference to other people's lives if he couldn't even see. His second life had come to an end. He began mentally reviewing his life as Michael Knight, all the people he had helped, the lives he had saved, the friends he had made...Kitt...  
He gave a choked sob. Kitt would be taken care of. There were provisions in his will for that, Bonnie would care for him, and if anything happened to her, Rick knew what to do.   
His hand seemed to drift towards the top draw of his bedside cabinet almost of it's own volition. He pulled the draw open, and pulled out a pistol. He hadn't carried a gun since joining the Foundation, except that brief time when he had lost his memory, but the smooth metal of the pistol felt familiar and somehow comforting in his hand. He raised it, deliberately calling to mind the pain of being shot in the face, to steel himself against it. It felt very apt that his second life should end how it had begun. He smiled grimly, pity it wasn't a starry night in Nevada, but he couldn't have seen those stars anyway. The stars over the desert were so very pretty. Fingers slid over the cool metal as his thumb touched the safety...  
  
Kitt's scanner flared to life. Something was wrong, very wrong. He could feel it. Feeling uneasy, he called Michael.  
"Michael? Is everything alright?" Kitt asked.  
  
"Not now Kitt." Michael said, as he clicked off the safety. He raised the gun to his head, feeling the cold metal of the barrel against his temple.  
Kitt analysed the clicking sound he had just heard. The results came back within a second.  
"Michael! No!" Kitt screamed.  
"Why not Kitt? It's over. I can't make a difference anymore."  
"You make a difference to me Michael!" Kitt cried desperately, even as he diverted some of his communication toward Rick and Bonnie for help.  
"Don't you dare leave me, Michael. I can't be without you, don't you understand? You're part of me."  
The desperation in his partner's voice gave him pause, and he lowered the gun.  
"Please, Michael, don't stop trying to make a difference. I'm still here for you, even if you are blind, we can still make it, together. But please, don't give up on me now."  
The door to his apartment opened, he heard it.   
"Michael, what the hell are you doing?" Rick Moss demanded, aghast.  
"I don't know...I don't know anything anymore." Michael said, suddenly on the edge of tears.  
"Just give me the gun, please?" Rick said. Michael held out the pistol with a quivering hand, and felt Rick take it gingerly.   
"I'll be right next door if you need me." Rick said softly as he left, closing the door behind him.  
"Thank you Michael." Kitt said, relief colouring his voice.  
"I don't know if I can do this Kitt." Michael confessed brokenly.  
"Don't worry Michael, I'll always be here. I'm forever yours, remember that."  
Michael sighed and curled up on his bed, trying to sleep.  
  
Riley lowered the binoculars and cursed under his breath. It would have simplified his job tremendously if Knight had killed himself. Ah well, if Knight didn't have the guts to kill himself, then Riley was more than happy to take care of that for him.  
  
To Be Continued...  
(but don't hold your breath!)  
  
Chapter 4  
Rick and Karr had left the next day on some mission or other, leaving Michael in the care of Kitt, Bonnie and Dr Alpert.   
Dr Alpert had called Michael in - he had sounded fairly cheery about whatever he had to say - which had given Bonnie and Kitt reason to hope. Michael remained dour, not wanting to have his hopes built up for nothing. And he had enough experience with Doctors to know that they always tried to put the best face on things.  
"The results of the tests I did on you are in, Michael." Alpert began.  
"And?" Bonnie asked hopefully.  
"And the news is good. The blindness will wear off eventually when the cells regenerate themselves."  
"How long will that take?" Michael asked, his voice devoid of inflection. Alpert sighed heavily.  
"I don't know. It could be a week - it could be several months. The eyes are remarkable things, but this sort of thing is impossible to predict."  
"Great," Michael said sarcastically, "So while I'm waiting for my eyes to fix themselves, the Foundation could have fired me."  
The venom in his tone took Dr Alpert aback. He wouldn't usually expect that from one of his most happy-go-lucky patients. Usually Michael just shrugged off any injury, but not this time.  
"Thank you Doctor." Bonnie interjected quickly, before grabbing hold of Michael and hauling him outside.  
"What the hell is wrong with you, Michael?" Bonnie hissed to him as the walked back to his room. Michael turned slightly, and Bonnie felt a chill go down her spine. If she hadn't known better she could have sworn he was looking her directly in the eyes.  
"Don't you get it Bonnie?" Michael asked, "They could take Kitt away from me."  
Bonnie stared at him, at last she understood why Michael was so withdrawn. It was fear. He was terrified of loosing Kitt, but trying not to show it.  
"Is that what this is all about?" Bonnie asked gently.  
Michael's face crumpled into an anguished expression.  
"I don't think I can live without him again..."  
  
Michael was walking around the Foundation compound, hid right hand resting on Kittt's roof, allowing the car to lead him, almost like a guide dog, but better. He spoke quietly with his partner as they strolled, their conversations were wide ranging, covering many subjects. They held nothing back from each other, and any question, no matter how odd or personal, was answered. They both knew that they might only have a short while to do this. Neither of them wanted anything left unsaid.  
"What would be the first thing you would want to see when you get your sight back, Michael?" Kitt asked. Michael, relaxed and comfortable in the warm sunshine, responded without thinking.  
"You." He said.  
"Really?" Kitt asked sounding surprised.   
"Yeah, Kitt. You're helping to get me through this, and I've lost count of how many times you've saved me in the past," Michael let a small smile touch his lips, "And you're pretty nice to look at." He added.  
"Michael...thank you." There was a pause as Kitt tried to decide if he should bring this up. "Michael?"   
"Hmm?" Michael answered.  
"You wouldn't really have left me, would you?"  
Michael took a deep breath and released it slowly.  
"I was...confused, Kitt. Everything seemed so hopeless. I don't know if I could stand it if they tore up apart again."  
There was a pregnant pause before they both tried to speak at the same time.  
"Michael, I..."  
"Kitt, I..."  
They both stopped. There was another pause.  
"Go ahead, Michael." Kitt said.  
"No, you first."  
Kitt steeled himself before speaking the words he had wanted to say for a long time.  
"I love you, Michael." Kitt said softly.  
"I love you too, Kitt." Michael said as he choked back tears. He reached out to pat the roof, wishing he could be close to his partner in some way, however inadequate. "Promise you wont leave me again, Kitt. Please." Michael begged.  
"I wont leave you. I'll always be yours and only yours. I promise."  
The was a pause as they tried to settle their emotions, when Kitt's alarmed cry suddenly rang out.  
"Michael! There's an armed man in the grove behind you! Duck!"   
Shots rang out, three of them. Michael had dove to the floor as soon as Kitt had shouted, trusting without question Kitt's warning.  
"He's making a run for it, Michael."  
Fury waged war on Michael's good sense. He had never let it go when someone had fired a shot at him, he wasn't about to start now.  
"No way, Kitt. We're going after him."  
Michael said, grabbing at the door he had heard swing open for him.  
"But Michael, you're hardly in a condition to..."  
"I'm not letting him get away, Kitt!" Michael ground out.  
Kitt gave up, knowing he couldn't reason with Michael when his partner was in this kind of mood. The hunt began.  
  
It wasn't much of a chase. The mysterious gunman was on foot, and no match for Kitt's speed. They cornered him near a crumbling old wall deep in the Foundation grounds. The gunman raised his arms and tossed down his rifle. Kitt relayed all this to Michael.   
"I'm going out there Kitt." Michael said decisively as he reached out for his sunglasses and a small gadget Bonnie had created for him, an earpiece that would allow Kitt to talk to him without others hearing. Kitt knew that Michael wouldn't be persuaded, so decided it was best to keep quiet.   
Michael stepped in front of the gunman, allowing Kitt to guide him verbally.  
"Who are you?" Michael demanded.  
"My name's Riley." The gunman replied.  
"You wanna tell me why you were shooting at me?"  
"I was hired."   
"You're a hitman." Michael said. It wasn't a question. "Who are you working for?"  
"I don't know. Some woman with a grudge."  
"You can do better than that. A location, the name of your contact, a description."  
"Why should I tell you anything?"  
"Because if you don't, I'll have to be a little more persuasive." Michael replied, taking a step forward.  
Just then, Kitt read a massive surge in Riley's heart rate and blood pressure, the gunman reached into his jacket, and Kitt detected a handgun.  
"Michael!" Kitt screamed, but there was no time, Michael didn't have the time to respond, and Kitt didn't have time to move to block the bullet's path. But with his amazing processing power, Kitt ran through his options, and realized he had no choice.   
A bright red beam darted out from Kitt's nose, drilling through Riley's chest and killing him instantly.  
In the same millisecond, all the programming controls that had been the foundation for Kitt's entire existence suddenly meant nothing. The barriers dissolved. Chaos could be the only result. Kitt screamed then, a high-pitched, metallic-edged shriek that seemed to come from the depths of Kitt's soul.  
"Noooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!"  
Michael stumbled over to the source of that agonized cry. He fell heavily onto Kitt's hood and began stroking the warm metal surface, murmuring words of comfort that meant nothing, but soothed nonetheless. He continued like that for a long time, talking and stroking, having forgotten his own problem for now, focusing all his attention entirely on his distraught partner.  
"Oh Michael...Michael, what have I done? What have I done?" Kitt moaned in anguish.  
"Shhh, Kitt. You saved my life."  
"At the expense of another human life! I've violated my programming, I've taken..." Kitt let out a high-pitched keening noise. "They'll take me apart, they'll experiment on me like I'm a lab-rat. I've...I've..."  
"Kitt, Kitt... partner. They are not gonna do anything to you."  
"But I just..."  
" They don't have to know. I can say I killed him. They don't ever have to know. I won't let anyone hurt you, partner. Not ever."  
The drivers door swung open, and Michael followed the sound until he fell into the warm leather interior of Kitt's cabin. He groped blindly for the steering wheel, wrapping his arms around it and closing his eyes.  
"I'll never let anyone take you away from me. I'm not gonna loose you again."  
Michael opened his eyes, and to his amazement, instead of a steady blackness he could faintly see the lights of Kitt's dashboard. He reached out in awe.  
"Kitt, I can...I can see you!"  
"You can Michael? That's wonderful!" Kitt cried, forgetting his pain for the moment. Michael let the tears flow down his face, unashamed of the raw emotion pulsing through him, he snuggled up to the dashboard, feeling close to his   
partner.  
"You're beautiful, Kitt." Michael whispered.   
Kitt let out his own emotion the only way he could, and the sound of Michael's sobs and Kitt's keening echoed softly into the night.  
  
"How can you ever trust me again Michael? After what I've done."  
"Kitt," Michael replied, wiping his eyes, "Stevie loved me enough to die for me, I sometimes thought that was the greatest expression of love there is, but you...you just sacrificed everything that your life was built on, just to save me." Michael took a deep shuddering breath. "No-one's ever loved me that much before...I..." His voice cracked and he felt the tears start again.  
"You know more about me than anyone else. All those girls over the years only saw part of me, that's all they wanted to see." Michael said.  
"I don't understand, Michael. What are you trying to tell me?"  
"People see what they want to see, Kitt, but you see everything. You've seen all of me. No secrets, no prejudice, just me and you. You're my brother, Kitt, you mean everything to m, and I'm never gonna let you go."  
"Michael..." Kitt said in awe, unsure of what to say, "I will always be yours, you know that."  
"Yeah," Michale smiled, wiping his eyes, "That's something that I always took pride in, something I treasured. But in all these years I never told you that I'm yours, too." Michael reached out to gently touch the voice modulator, and not for the first time, Kitt wished he could feel real human touch.  
"Mine?" Kitt asked, not quite believing it.  
"Yeah, Kitt'n. Yours." Michael said softly.  
"I love you, Michael."  
"I love you too, Kitt."   
  
/We got time 'cause we never lost touch,  
We're gonna make it, through the night.../  
  
The End  
By Janeway  



End file.
